American Airlines flyers have plenty of cobranded credit cards to choose from, from no-annual-fee offerings to some of the most premium cards on the market.
Two great cards in the middle of that spectrum are the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, with a $99 annual fee (waived the first 12 months), and the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®, with a $99 annual fee.
The Aviator Red card includes interesting benefits such as an annual statement credit for inflight food and beverage purchases, as well as the possibility of earning a companion certificate through spending.
The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum card, meanwhile, allows cardholders to rack up miles faster on everyday purchases with non-airline bonus categories.
Today, we’ll put both cards head-to-head to see which is right for you.
The information for the the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select and the AAdvantage Aviator Red cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
AAdvantage Platinum Select vs. AAdvantage Aviator Red comparison
| Card | AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard | Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $99 | $99 (waived the first 12 months) |
| Sign-up bonus | 60,000 miles after a single purchase made in the first 90 days and payment of $99 for the annual fee | 50,000 miles after spending $2,500 within the first three months |
| Earning | 2 miles per dollar on eligible AA purchases
1 mile per dollar on everything else |
2 miles per dollar on eligible AA purchases, restaurants and gas stations
1 mile per dollar on everything else |
| Travel benefits | First checked bag free for up to five passengers
Preferred boarding 25% off inflight food and beverages |
First checked bag free for up to five passengers
Preferred boarding 25% off inflight food and beverages |
| Spending benefit | Companion certificate for $99 (plus taxes and fees) after spending $20,000 in a year, renewing the card and keeping it open for at least 45 days after account anniversary | $125 flight discount after spending $20,000 or more in a card year and renewing the card |
| Other benefits | World Elite Mastercard perks; no foreign exchange fees; car rental protection | World Elite Mastercard perks; no foreign exchange fees |
AAdvantage Platinum Select vs. AAdvantage Aviator Red welcome offer
The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select is currently offering 50,000 bonus AAdvantage miles after making $2,500 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. Based on our most recent valuations, this is worth around $850.
The Aviator Red offers 60,000 bonus AAdvantage miles after making your first purchase in the first 90 days — no matter the cost — and paying the $99 annual fee. This bonus is worth around $1,020.
Winner: Aviator Red. Earning 60,000 miles for a single purchase and a $99 fee makes the Aviator Red a clear winner.
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AAdvantage Platinum Select vs. AAdvantage Aviator Red benefits
The two cards offer similar slates of inflight benefits. Both include a first checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for the cardholder and up to four companions traveling with them on the same reservation.
Both cards also confer priority boarding privileges and a 25% discount on inflight food and beverage purchases.
If you spend $20,000 or more on purchases during a card membership year and renew your Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select, you can earn a $125 American Airlines flight discount. The discount is redeemable toward the base airfare and directly associated taxes, fees and charges on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines and its subsidiaries.
The Aviator Red rewards cardholders who spend $20,000 or more on purchases in a cardmember year and pay their annual fee with a companion certificate for $99 (plus taxes and fees). It’s good for a round-trip domestic economy ticket on American Airlines and its subsidiaries within the 48 contiguous United States. Residents of Alaska and Hawaii can travel to or from their states.
Although you can apply the Citi card’s $125 discount to more flights, since there’s no class or regional restriction to it, you can potentially reap much more value from the Aviator Red’s benefit by redeeming it for an expensive fare.
Both cards waive foreign transaction fees and offer a range of World Elite Mastercard benefits. Those include access to the World Elite Concierge, a $5 monthly Lyft credit if you take three or more rides, $1,000 in yearly cellphone coverage ($800 max per claim, two claims per year), global emergency services, a $5 reward for every $20 spent on Fandango movie tickets or at-home purchases. You’ll also access golf offers and experiences with the PGA Tour with Priceless Golf and a free ShopRunner membership where you receive two-day shipping and free return shipping at over a hundred online retailers.
Winner: Tie. Both cards offer a long list of solid benefits.
Earning miles on the AAdvantage Platinum Select vs. AAdvantage Aviator Red
The cards have slightly different earning rates.
Both cards earn 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile on most other purchases.
The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select also earns 2 miles per dollar spent at restaurants and gas stations.
Winner: The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select wins out. It has two bonus spending categories where cardholders can rack up extra miles.
Redeeming and transferring miles on the AAdvantage Platinum Select vs. AAdvantage Aviator Red
The rewards on both cards can be used for valuable redemptions of AAdvantage miles on things like premium-cabin partner bookings.
For domestic flights, we’d recommend programs like Southwest and JetBlue before using American miles. It’s generally better to save AA miles for business or first class on Qatar Airways, Etihad, Finnair, Iberia and partner carriers with highly regarded international long-haul service.
TPG credit cards writer Danyal Ahmed redeems AA miles earned on his Platinum Select card for Qatar Airways Qsuite flights to the Middle East.
Winner: Tie. Both cards offer the same redemption and transfer options.
Should I get the AAdvantage Platinum Select or AAdvantage Aviator Red?
These cards offer similar perks. You should get the Platinum Select if you spend a lot on dining and gas, whereas the Aviator Red will give you a more valuable companion certificate if you redeem it on expensive flights. You should also consider which card is offering a larger sign-up bonus.
Bottom line
Both cards are excellent products that allow you to earn miles quickly with the AAdvantage program while enjoying elite-style perks when you travel — all for a reasonable $99 annual fee.
To learn more, read our full reviews of the Platinum Select and Aviator Red.
Related: How to earn miles in the American Airlines AAdvantage program